Karl Propper

Legendary Bach interpreter Karl Richter leads his Münchener Bach-Orchester and choir in a double-DVD version of J. S. Bach's grandest sacred work, a riveting chronicle of the Last Supper and Christ's final hours, with the Gospel text sung by Peter Schreier as the Evangelist.

As one of the 20th century's most acclaimed Bach interpreters, Karl Richter devotes his expertise to this monumental epic of Christ's final hours, tapping the power of Bach's rich choral writing for a rendering of startling immediacy - for the first time on DVD.

Karl Richter leads a star line-up of soloists including Gundula Janowitz and Hermann Prey in Bach's enduring В minor Mass, a majestic work that showcases Bach's supreme craftsmanship and skill as a choral composer.

Karl Richter's performance dates from 1965, since when it has seldom been out of the catalogue. It is in an entirely different class… Richter's Munich Bach Choir were at a peak at this time and the results are often quite exciting. Under Richter's direction the ''Ehre sei dir, Gott'' chorus…is appropriately lustig with wonderfully light-hearted singing and orchestral playing… [T]he arias with Gundula Janowitz and Fritz Wunderlich…[are] of a calibre which will always ensure considerable enjoyment…

Wie ein Monolith ragt der Dirigent, Organist und Cembalist Karl Richter in der Geschichte der evangelischen Kirchenmusik und der Bach-Interpretation der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts auf. Als junger Mann beschloss Karl Richter, inspiriert von der mitteldeutschen Kantorentradition seiner Heimat, dem frühen Eindruck des Klangs der sächsischen Orgeln und der Werke Johann Sebastian Bachs, sein Leben in den Dienst an der Musica sacra zu stellen. In seinem kurzen Leben, das nur 54 Jahre währte, setzte er diesen Vorsatz in den Kirchendiensten an der Thomas-kirche zu Leipzig, an der Markuskirche zu München, in Konzerten, Schallplattenaufnahmen für Teldec und Deutsche Grammophon und als Lehrer an der Münchner Hochschule für Musik, in einer Lebensleistung von fast unüber-schaubarem Ausmaß ins Werk. Es gelang ihm dabei, internationale Maßstäbe zu setzen.

From the euphoric first to the solemn sixth, the Brandenburg Concertos feature some of Bach's fenrst and most popular orchestral music, interpreted here by legendary Bach specialist Karl Richter and his Münchener Bach-Orchester - for the first time on DVD.

Karl Weigl’s music demonstrates once again that the great Austrian/German symphonic tradition did not die with Mahler, but continued to thrive well into the 20th century. Weigl (1881-1949) worked under Mahler in Vienna and enjoyed a fine reputation until, as we’ve heard often by now, the Nazi seizure of power, which forced his emigration to America where he died in comparative obscurity. He nevertheless composed a substantial body of orchestral and chamber music, including six symphonies. If this one is typical, it’s a legacy that urgently calls out for wider exposure. Composed in 1945 and dedicated to the memory of President Roosevelt, the “Apocalyptic Symphony” received its premiere in 1968 under Stokowski.

How might one combine the worldly elegance of a Chopin with the so very 'heavy' chromaticism of Wagner's Tristan? Felix Blumenfeld, today almost entirely forgotten as a composer, knew the answer to this question - as his Prélude op. 17, No. 19 impressively demonstrates. However, before this so very original gem, which is only one of the highlights on our Blumenfeld CD, concludes this program, Karl-Andreas Kolly has a whole series of other surprises ready that will make the hearts of fans of Russian piano virtuosity and other interested listeners beat a little faster.

This is delightful and ingenious set of 2 Cds. For people familiar with R. Strauss "Der Burger als Edelmann" Orchestersuite (op. 60), the set provides the complete music to the comedy of Moliere (reworked by H. Hofmannsthal) as it was staged originally in Berlin in 1919. Sir Peter Ustinov performs the role of Jack of all Trades: he wrote the text, narrated the story, and played all the important roles. It is the BEST we may expect (barring the original Berlin production). For people who are not familiar with the Orchestersuite - this set represents one of the best examples of the neo-classical Strauss. Most of the play's music is part of the suite, but the play's context and Ustinov's magic give a new light to this wonderful work.